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For some families, Oak Ridge Cemetery was more than a place of remembrance, it was home.
In the early 1960s, one local resident moved onto the cemetery grounds when her father took on the role of sexton. What followed was not just work, but a way of life shaped by the rhythms of the cemetery.
Winters brought their own challenges. Before modern equipment, the ground would freeze solid. To prepare for burials, heaters were placed on the earth to thaw it enough to dig. Even then, graves were often dug by hand. Two local gravediggers, Ed Vegly and Cornelius Claussen, handled much of that work in the early years.
Later, equipment changed the process. After moving to Oak Ridge, her father helped bring in a backhoe, eventually taking on much of the digging himself.
But life at the cemetery wasn’t defined only by labor.
As a teenager, she remembered it simply as home:
“That was our ‘back yard’ as a teenager… I had the bedroom with the balcony and a screen door so I could sit out there… miss it.”
The grounds became a place of everyday life, where children learned to drive on narrow gravel roads and families made memories among the stones.
Some moments were unforgettable.
She recalled one of the largest funerals she witnessed, following the loss of multiple members of the Darfler family in a plane crash. Several graves were opened at once, a sobering reminder of the cemetery’s role in the community.
And then there were lighter, if unusual, moments.
A junior class Halloween party once took place in the cemetery garage, complete with lantern lit “grave walks” down to the crypt.
The destination was the Hummel family crypt, one of the cemetery’s most recognizable and historic structures. Music was piped in through vents, and one participant even staged a surprise from within, creating a memory that was both frightening and unforgettable.
Looking back, she reflected:
“Most of my memories would offend most people, but it was a fun place to grow up.”
In these recollections, Oak Ridge emerges not just as a resting place for the past, but as a living part of Sandwich’s story, where work, family, and memory were deeply intertwined.
Facts-at-a-Glance
- The Ross family (Don was the Sexton) lived on site at Oak Ridge (c. early 1960s)
- Graves initially dug by hand
- Heaters used in winter to thaw frozen ground
- Gravediggers: Ed Vegly and Cornelius Claussen
- Transition to backhoe digging shortly after
- Site of large community funerals (including Darfler family tragedy)
- Social and community use included events and gatherings
Continue the Story
📚 Sources
- Personal recollections of Donna (Ross) Cave (shared 2026)
- Contributed through Historic Sandwich, Illinois community discussion